I entered San Francisco at the end of June 2020. Covid-19 by this point had caused the complete shutdown of the country and much of the world. I had the option of staying in Seattle until things stabilized, but seeing rents drop throughout the neighborhood, I wanted to take advantage of it. (I also wanted to start my new life as soon as possible.)
I knew I would have a hard time moving to a new location in the midst of a pandemic, without knowing many people in the area or in the area itself. But this dive into the unknown was pretty exciting, tinged with dread – something that excited my masochistic part.
With the exception of a handful of friends from out of town coming to visit me to make sure I was acclimated, I was now completely alone.
Again, being kind of a gay mecca, I was excited about the prospects for dating. A few weeks before the move, I uploaded the usual suspects, enriched my profiles, uploaded my tastiest thotty photos, and changed my location to San Francisco.
On the contrary, I was hoping to be able to connect with guys from the area who could maybe become friends. As I get older and with each movement, I find it more and more difficult to integrate myself into a social circle. Covid-19, as I suspected and turned out to be reality, would only make it worse.
Growing up queer in the Midwest and feeling a little out of place, I’ve heard that San Francisco is that kind of gay mecca.
My first few weeks in San Francisco were pleasant, if strange.
When I wasn’t busy with work, I spent a lot of my time hanging out with a guy I started chatting with before I moved out. He showed me the neighborhoods, restaurants worth visiting (which offered alfresco dining or take out) and other sights and sounds of the area. I quickly fell in love with San Francisco, although the city only runs at a fraction of its usual speed.
Unfortunately, as quickly as it started, the time with this guy ended. I think we were both a little desperate for a human connection after being isolated so we rushed in and then it fizzled out. With the exception of a handful of friends from out of town coming to visit me to make sure I was acclimated, I was now completely alone.
